The Necklace
by Gaara's Plaything
Summary: Just a drabble about true love and betrothal necklaces.


**Not much to say except that I don't own Avatar.**

_**The Necklace**_

Zuko was just sitting in his room, idly toying with the necklace that the waterbending peasant always wore, when his uncle came into the room. Naturally, he knocked first, entering when his nephew gave a vague grunt. Not particularly feeling up to talking at the moment, Zuko looked up with a bored expression on his face, noting that his uncle looked like he was about to say something consoling, since they'd failed to catch the Avatar, _again_.

"How are you doing, Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked.

"I'm fine," the banished prince deadpanned.

"I'm glad," the old General said. "It does not do one good to dwell over things one cannot change. For example… Oh! Is that a Watertribe betrothal necklace?"

The sudden change in his uncle's words didn't really surprise him, but the subject did. Looking down at the necklace, Zuko couldn't help but think, _'The peasant is engaged?'_ It shouldn't be a surprise to him, considering that this sort of thing was quite commonplace, but he'd never really thought about the Avatar's female companion before, and now he found himself doing just that.

"It belongs to that Watertribe girl with the Avatar," he said. "She lost it on the prison ship."

Iroh took the necklace from his hands and brought it up, examining it closely. "Such fine quality," he remarked. "The young man who carved this was obviously very talented. But it seems to be done the way the northern tribes usually carve. Isn't the girl from the southern tribes?"

"Who cares?" Zuko muttered, but his uncle wasn't done musing.

"It's strange," he murmured. "I thought that the two tribes had lost contact during the war. Maybe this means that they actually didn't, or maybe they're opening up communication again. Hmm."

'_Or maybe you're wrong,' _Zuko thought, but he highly doubted it. In any case, whether or not that girl was going to marry someone didn't really matter to him. All that mattered was that he was going to keep a hold of the necklace. It might end up being useful, though he didn't actually know what for.

He remembered when he was taunting the girl with it when he was allied with those traitor pirates, she'd been unhappy that he had it. The necklace obviously meant a lot to her, so he guessed that maybe she was actually in love with her intended. Not many marriages had love in the start. Look at his own parents. His uncle Iroh had told him how they'd hated each other at first, but then had grown to love one another. Zuko'd scoffed at the idea of his father actually loving someone.

He knew that a marriage had been arranged for him, with Mai. Not that he minded, really. But according to the laws of the Firenation, the moment he was banished the arrangement would have become null and void. If he ever returned, another agreement would have to be made. Returning to his home was the only thing that drove him these days, and the only way was to regain his honour by capturing the Avatar.

Iroh set the necklace down and let out a great sigh. Zuko knew what was going to happen next. The old man was going to start reminiscing, and sure enough, that's exactly what he did.

"I remember the day I carved a betrothal jewel for my beloved Aretta," he said. "It was the most perfect firestone that I'd ever seen. But she hated it, of course, because she'd wanted a bloodstone. They were all the rage with the girls back then. Naturally, it's the other way around nowadays, but she eventually accepted it, and we were married in a lovely ceremony in the middle of spring!"

The old man let out a sad sounding chuckle. "Of course, Lu Ten was born a few years later," he said, "and my beloved gave her own life to bring him into this world. Sometimes I wonder what life would have been like if she was still around."

The former general let out a loud sniff, and Zuko was a little put off by the realisation that his uncle was crying. Iroh reached into his robes and pulled out an old necklace, and despite himself, Zuko's interest was perked.

"Is that it?" he asked, and the older man nodded.

He handed it to Zuko, who turned the stone over in his hand. It was truly marvellous craftsmanship. He'd had no idea his uncle was this talented. Holding up both necklaces, he compared them. The peasant's was blue, very blue. The stone, he realised, was a pearlstone, usually found only in the waters between the north pole and the northern most point of the earth kingdom. The firestone, though, was only found in the fire nation, and always near volcanoes.

Zuko had decided long ago, before his banishment, that the stone he would carve would be an emberstone, but they were only found in one place in the entire world. Ember Island. His family had always taken vacations there when he was a child, and he'd always wanted to find a perfect emberstone, but he never did. What made things worse was that Azula had found one that was flawless, but it was sitting at the bottom of the harbour at the capital after she'd thrown first a tantrum, and then the stone.

"I want you to have it," the old man said suddenly. "It brings back too many painful memories to me. I would have given it to my son, but…"

But he'd died. Zuko placed the necklace back in his uncle's hand. "Keep it," he said. "It's something to remember her by."

Iroh sniffed but refused the sentiment. "I still have a picture of her," he said. "I won't forget."

Reluctantly, Zuko accepted the gift and placed both necklaces on the desk in front of him. "Thank you," he said.

The old general sniffed once again and turned towards the door. "I think that I'll go up on deck," he said. "It's a lovely night and the sailors are going to be having a little celebration tonight. It would be good to forget my worries for a time. You should come too, Prince Zuko."

"No thank you," Zuko refused, knowing full well that the celebration would mean that his men would be getting roaring drunk.

Iroh shrugged. "As you please. Good night, nephew."

Once the older man was gone, Zuko looked down at the necklaces in front him, just staring at them and wondering. "Good night uncle," he murmured, knowing full well that he hadn't heard him.

**The next one's in Katara's point of view. Hoped you liked and will review. See ya!**


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